The culture of Thailand incorporates cultural beliefs and characteristics indigenous to the area known as modern-day Thailand coupled with much influence from ancient China, Cambodia, Laos, India along with the neighboring pre-historic cultures of Southeast Asia.[1] It is influenced primarily by animism, Hinduism, Buddhism, as well as by later migrations from China, and northern India.
Contents
1 Religion
2 Customs
2.1 Traditional clothing
3 Marriage
4 Birth traditions and beliefs
5 Funerals
6 Arts
7 Holidays
8 Sports
9 Traditional Games of Thailand
9.1 Kratai Kha Deow(One Legged Rabbit)
9.2 Banana rib hobbyhorse riding
10 Nicknames
11 See also
12 Notes and references
13 External links
Religion
Buddhist novices receiving joss sticks.
Main article: Religion in Thailand
Thailand is nearly 94%-95% Theravada Buddhist (which includes the Thai Forest Tradition and the Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Santi Asoke sects), with minorities of Muslims (5-6%), Christians (1%), Mahayana Buddhists, and other religions.[2] Thai Theravada Buddhism is supported and overseen by the government, with monks receiving a number of government benefits, such as free use of the public transportation infrastructure.
Buddhism in Thailand is strongly influenced by traditional beliefs regarding ancestral and natural spirits, which have been incorporated into Buddhist cosmology. Most Thai people own spirit houses, miniature wooden houses in which they believe household spirits live. They present offerings of food and drink to these spirits to keep them happy. If these spirits aren't happy, it is believed that they will inhabit the larger household of the Thai, and cause chaos. These spirit houses can be found in public places and in the streets of Thailand, where the public make offerings.[3]
Prior to the rise of Theravada Buddhism, both Indian Brahmanic religion and Mahayana Buddhism were present in Thailand. Influences from both these traditions can still be seen in present day Thai folklore. Brahmanist shrines play an important role in Thai folk religion, and the Mahayana Buddhist influence is reflected in the presence of figures like Lokesvara, a form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sometimes incorporated into Thailand's iconography.[4][5]
Customs
See also: Thai folklore
Thai greeting, the smile is an important symbol of refinement in Thai culture.
The traditional customs and the folklore of Thai people were gathered and described by Phya Anuman Rajadhon in the 20th century, at a time when modernity changed the face of Thailand and a great number of traditions disappeared or became adapted to modern life. Still, the striving towards refinement, rooted in ancient Siamese culture, consisting of promoting that which is refined and avoiding coarseness is a major focus of the daily life of Thai people and high on their scale of values.[6]
One of the most distinctive Thai customs is the wai. Used in greetings, leave-taking, or as an acknowledgement, it comes in many forms, reflecting the relative status of those involved. Generally the salutation involves a prayer-like gesture with the hands, similar to the Añjali Mudrā of the Indian subcontinent, and it also may include a slight bow of the head. This salutation is often accompanied by a serene smile symbolizing a welcoming disposition and a pleasant attitude. Thailand is often referred to as the "land of smiles" in tourist brochures.
Public displays of affection is not overly common in traditional Thai society, especially between lovers.[7] It is becoming more common, especially among the younger generation.
A notable social norm holds that touching someone on the head may be considered rude. It is also considered rude to place one's feet at a level above someone else's head, especially if that person is of higher social standing. This is because the Thai people consider the foot to be the dirtiest and lowliest part of the body, and the head the most respected and highest part of the body. This also influences how Thais sit when on the ground—their feet always pointing away from others, tucked to the side or behind them. Pointing at or touching something with the feet is also considered rude.
Display of respect of the younger towards the elder is a cornerstone value in Thailand. A family during the Buddhist ceremony for young men who are to be ordained as monks.
Since serene detachment is valued, conflict and sudden displays of anger are eschewed in Thai culture and, as is many Asian cultures, the notion of face is extremely important. For these reasons, visitors should take care not to create conflict, to display anger or to cause a Thai person to lose face. Disagreements or disputes should be handled with a smile and no attempt should be made to assign blame to another. In everyday life in Thailand, there is a strong emphasis on the concept of sanuk; the idea that life should be fun. Because of this, Thais can be quite playful at work and during day-to-day activities. Displaying positive emotions in social interactions is also important in Thai culture.
Often, Thais will deal with disagreements, minor mistakes, or misfortunes by using the phrase mai pen rai, translated as "it doesn't matter". The ubiquitous use of this phrase in Thailand reflects a disposition towards minimizing conflict, disagreements or complaints. A smile and the sentence "mai pen rai" indicates that the incident is not important and therefore there is no conflict or shame involved.
Respect for hierarchy is a very important value for Thai people. The custom of bun khun emphasizes the indebtedness towards parents, as well as towards guardians, teachers, and caretakers. It describes the feelings and practices involved in certain relationships organized around generalized reciprocity, the slow-acting accounting of an exchange calculated according to locally interpreted scales and measures.[8] It is also considered rude to step on any type of Thai currency (Thai coin or banknote) as they include a likeness of the king.
The 1941-42 Thai cultural mandates, promulgated by Plaek Pibulsonggram, made sweeping changes in Thai culture. Modernization efforts discouraged the wearing of women's traditional costumes, in favour of more modern forms of dress
.
There are a number of Thai customs relating to the special status of monks in Thai society. Thai monks are forbidden physical contact with women. Women are therefore expected to make way for passing monks to ensure that accidental contact does not occur. A variety of methods are employed to ensure that no incidental contact (or the appearance of such contact) between women and monks occurs. Women making offerings to monks place their donation at the feet of the monk, or on a cloth laid on the ground or a table. Powders or unguents intended to carry a blessing are applied to Thai women by monks using the end of a candle or stick. Laypersons are expected to sit or stand with their heads at a lower level than that of a monk. Within a temple, monks may sit on a raised platform during ceremonies to make this easier to achieve.
When sitting in a temple, one is expected to point one's feet away from images of the Buddha. Shrines inside Thai residences are arranged so as to ensure that the feet are not pointed towards the religious icons, such as placing the shrine on the same wall as the head of a bed, if a house is too small to remove the shrine from the bedroom entirely.
It is also customary to remove one's footwear before entering a home or the sacred areas within a temple, and not to step on the threshold.
Traditional clothing
A woman wearing a chut Thai
Main article: Chut thai
Traditional Thai clothing is called chut thai (Thai: ชุดไทย Thai pronunciation: [tɕʰút.tʰaj]) which literally means "Thai outfit". It can be worn by men, women, and children. Chut thai for women usually consists of a pha nung or a chong kraben, a blouse, and a sabai. Northern and northeastern women may wear a sinh instead of a pha nung and a chong kraben with either a blouse or a suea pat. Chut thai for men includes a chong kraben or pants, a Raj pattern shirt, with optional knee-length white socks and a sabai. Chut thai for northern Thai men is composed of a sado, a white Manchu styled jacket, and sometimes a khian hua. In formal occasions, people may choose to wear a chut thai phraratchaniyom.
Marriage
A traditional wedding in Thailand.
Main article: Thai marriage
Thai Buddhist marriage ceremonies are generally divided into two parts: a Buddhist component, which includes the recitation of prayers and the offering of food and other gifts to monks and images of the Buddha, and a non-Buddhist component rooted in folk traditions, which centers on the couple's families.
In former times, it was unknown for Buddhist monks to be present at any stage of the marriage ceremony itself. As monks were required to attend to the dead during funerals, their presence at a marriage (which was associated with fertility, and intended to produce children) was considered a bad omen. A couple would seek a blessing from their local temple before or after being married, and might consult a monk for astrological advice in setting an auspicious date for the wedding. The non-Buddhist portions of the wedding would take place away from the temple, and would often take place on a separate day.
In modern times, these prohibitions have been significantly relaxed. It is not uncommon for a visit to a temple to be made on the same day as the non-Buddhist portions of a wedding, or even for the wedding to take place within the temple. While a division is still commonly observed between the "religious" and "secular" portions of a wedding service, it may be as simple as the monks present for the Buddhist ceremony departing to take lunch once their role is complete.
During the Buddhist component of the wedding service, the couple first bow before the image of the Buddha. They then recite certain basic Buddhist prayers or chants (typically including taking the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts), and light incense and candles before the image. The parents of the couple may then be called upon to "connect" them, by placing upon the heads of the bride and groom twin loops of string or thread that link the couple together. The couple may then make offerings of food, flowers, and medicine to the monks present. Cash gifts (usually placed in an envelope) may also be presented to the temple at this time.
The monks may then unwind a small length of thread that is held between the hands of the assembled monks. They begin a series of recitations of Pali scriptures intended to bring merit and blessings to the new couple. The string terminates with the lead monk, who may connect it to a container of water that will be "sanctified" for the ceremony. Merit is said to travel through the string and be conveyed to the water. A similar arrangement is used to transfer merit to the dead at a funeral, further evidence of the weakening of the taboo on mixing funerary imagery and trappings with marriage ceremonies. Blessed water may be mixed with wax drippings from a candle lit before the Buddha image and other unguents and herbs to create a paste that is then applied to the foreheads of the bride and groom to create a small dot, similar to the marking made with red ochre on Hindu devotees. The bride's mark is created with the butt end of the candle rather than the monk's thumb, in keeping with the Vinaya prohibition against touching women.
The highest-ranking monk present may elect to say a few words to the couple, offering advice or encouragement. The couple may then make offerings of food to the monks, at which point the Buddhist portion of the ceremony is concluded.
The Thai dowry system is known as the sin sodt Thai: สินสอด. Traditionally, the groom will be expected to pay a sum of money to the family, to compensate them and to demonstrate that the groom is financially capable of taking care of their daughter. Sometimes, this sum is purely symbolic, and will be returned to the bride and groom after the wedding has taken place.
The religious component of marriage ceremonies between Thai Muslims are markedly different from that described above. The Imam of the local mosque, the groom, the father of the bride, men in the immediate family, and important men in the community sit in a circle during the ceremony, conducted by the Imam. All the women, including the bride, sit in a separate room and do not have any direct participation in the ceremony. The secular component of the ceremony, however, is often nearly identical to the secular part of Thai Buddhist wedding ceremonies. The only notable difference here is the type of meat served to guests (goat and/or beef instead of pork). Thai Muslims frequently, though not always, also follow the conventions of the Thai dowry system.
Birth traditions and beliefs
Main article: Birth in Thailand
Traditional principles concerning pregnancy and childbirth are largely influenced by folk beliefs, especially in rural areas of central and north Thailand. Modern practices follow the Western medical model.
Funerals
See also: Funeral (Buddhism)
Funeral pyre of Chan Kusalo, the patriarch-abbot of northern Thailand.
Traditionally, funerals last for at least one week. Crying is discouraged during the funeral, so as not to worry the spirit of the deceased. Many activities surrounding the funeral are intended to make merit for the deceased. Copies of Buddhist scriptures may be printed and distributed in the name of the deceased, and gifts are usually given to a local temple. Monks are invited to chant prayers that are intended to provide merit for the deceased, as well as to provide protection against the possibility of the dead relative returning as a malicious spirit. A picture of the deceased from his/her best days will often be displayed next to the coffin. Often, a thread is connected to the corpse or coffin which is held by the chanting monks during their recitation; this thread is intended to transfer the merit of the monks' recitation to the deceased. The corpse is cremated, and the urn with the ash is usually kept in a chedi in the local temple.
Thai Chinese and Thai Muslim minorities bury their deceased according to the rituals of their respective communities.
Arts
A depiction of a white elephant in 19th century Thai art.
Main articles: Thai art and Music of Thailand
Thai visual arts were traditionally Buddhist. Thai Buddha images from different periods have a number of distinctive styles. Thai temple art and architecture evolved from a number of sources, one of them being Khmer architecture. Contemporary Thai art often combines traditional Thai elements with modern techniques.
Literature in Thailand is heavily influenced by Indian Hindu culture. The most notable works of Thai literature are a version of the Ramayana, a Hindu religious epic, called the Ramakien, written in part by Kings Rama I and Rama II, and the poetry of Sunthorn Phu.
There is no tradition of spoken drama in Thailand, the role instead being filled by Thai dance. This is divided into three categories: khon, lakhon, and likay, khon being the most elaborate and likay the most popular. Nang drama, a form of shadow play, is found in the south.
The music of Thailand includes classical and folk music traditions, e.g., piphat and mor lam, respectively) as well as string or pop music.
Holidays
Main article: Public holidays in Thailand
Important holidays in Thai culture include Thai New Year, or Songkran, which is officially observed from 13–15 April each year. Falling at the end of the dry season and during the hot season in Thailand, the celebrations notoriously feature boisterous water throwing. The water throwing stemmed from washing Buddha images and lightly sprinkling scented water on the hands of elderly people. Small amounts of scented talcum powder were also used in the annual cleansing rite. In recent decades, water fights have been increasingly industrialised with use of hoses, barrels, squirt guns, water-filled surgical tubing, and copious amounts of powder.
Loi Krathong is held on the 12th full moon of the Thai lunar calendar, usually early-November. While not a government-observed holiday, it is nonetheless an auspicious day in Thai culture, in which Thai people "loi", meaning "to float" a "krathong", a small raft traditionally made from elaborately folded banana leaves and including flowers, candles, incense sticks, and small offerings. The act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger, and defilements so that one can start life afresh on a better footing.
Sports
Thai boxing is the indigenous national sport in Thailand.[citation needed] Football is perhaps the most-watched sport. The English Premier League is surprisingly popular.[citation needed]
Traditional Games of Thailand
Kratai Kha Deow(One Legged Rabbit)
“Kratai Kha Deow” or “One Legged Rabbit” is one type of catch game. The catcher will call the rabbit, and the rabbit must stand on one leg and jump or tiptoe to catch the other players and switch to rabbit instead. This game will exercise your legs and practice balancing on one leg. The number of players are divided into two teams, or may not have a team at all. Normally, there are two or more players. At the first time, the player will select the rabbit or team by “Rock-Paper-Scissors”. The loser would have to be a rabbit.
In the case of solo player, the rabbit must stand on one leg, then jump to chase and touch any part of the body of other children who have run away. Everyone must stay within the designated area. A player who runs out of space loses the game and must be switched to rabbit, but if the rabbit is exhausted and cannot stand on one leg, it was that defeated and must be punished.
In team play, the rules are similar to the solo player, but the rabbit team will send a representative to catch the other team to all the people. Those arrested will have to wait outside until the rabbit team can catch all of the rival teams. Rabbit team can switch to teammates to catch on until they are exhausted, and if the all of the members in rabbit team are exhausted and cannot stand on one leg, the rabbit team lose the game and must be punished too.
Banana rib hobbyhorse riding
Banana rib hobbyhorse riding or "Khee Ma Khan Kluay" in Thai is a traditional game of Thailand that Thai kids frequently played in the past. They use a banana rib to make the parts of a horse such as head, ear, and horsetail. The kids can make a horse on their own by using banana rib from banana trees irrelevant. This game makes kids enjoy their imagination by assume themselves as a rider, and an exercise. That is a local traditional which is the kids can spent time together.
The materials for making a banana rib hobbyhorse are banana rib, knife, small bamboo pin, and string. First, find a rib of a banana around 1.5 is long (1 meter = 2 wa). Cut it in a form of the head, neck, and ears then use a small bamboo pin to connect the ear to the head of a horse. The remaining part of a banana rib, becomes a horsetail. Attach a string between the head and the tail of this banana rib horse and place on the shoulder of the rider.
How to play banana rib hobbyhorse riding. Kids will sit on the horse and behave like they are riding a real horse shouting ‘hee hee’ or ‘yee haaah’(making the usual sounds people shout when controlling their horses). They may race with other friends if they have player more than 2 players. Which team runs faster, will be the winner or continuously ride around a wide open space and have fun.
Nicknames
See also: Thai names
Thai people universally have one, or occasionally more, short nicknames (Thai: ชื่อเล่น name-play) that they use with friends a

History[edit]
First known selfie, taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839
Robert Cornelius, an American pioneer in photography, produced a daguerreotype of himself in 1839 which is also one of the first photographs of a person. Because the process was slow, Cornelius was able to run into the shot for a minute or more, and then replace the lens cap.[1] He recorded on the back "The first light Picture ever taken. 1839."[1][2]
Woman taking her picture in a mirror, ca. 1900
The debut of the portable Kodak Brownie box camera in 1900 led to photographic self-portraiture becoming a more widespread technique. The method was usually with the use of a mirror and stabilizing the camera either on a nearby object or on a tripod while framing via a viewfinder at the top of the box.[3] Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna at the age of 13 was one of the first teenagers to take her own picture using a mirror to send to a friend in 1914. In the letter that accompanied the photograph, she wrote, "I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling."[4]
The earliest usage of the word selfie has been traced to 2002 when it first appeared in an Australian internet forum (ABC Online) on 13 September in a comment written by Nathan Hope: "Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped ofer and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie."[5][6] As with other new technologies, the protocols and etiquette for taking and disseminating selfies remains under development, with appropriate use a matter for consideration.[7]
Popularity[edit]
The term "selfie" was discussed by photographer Jim Krause in 2005,[8] although photos anticipating some of the formal aspects of the selfie can be seen in the self-taken photographs that were particularly common on MySpace. Writer Kate Losse proposes that between 2006 and 2009 (when Facebook became more popular than MySpace), the "MySpace pic" (typically "an amateurish, flash-blinded self-portrait, often taken in front of a bathroom mirror") became an indication of bad taste for users of the newer Facebook social network. Early Facebook portraits, Losse claims in contrast, were usually well-focused and more formal, taken by others from distance. According to Losse, improvements in design—especially the front-facing camera copied by the iPhone 4 (2010) from Korean and Japanese mobile phones, mobile photo apps such as Instagram, and selfie sites such as ItisMee—led to the resurgence of selfies in the early 2010s.[9]
Buzz Aldrin took the first EVA selfie in 1966.
Initially popular with young people, selfies gained wider popularity over time.[10][11] By the end of 2012, Time magazine considered selfie one of the "top 10 buzzwords" of that year; although selfies had existed long before, it was in 2012 that the term "really hit the big time".[12] According to a 2013 survey, two-thirds of Australian women age 18–35 take selfies—the most common purpose for which is posting on Facebook.[11] A poll commissioned by smartphone and camera maker Samsung found that selfies make up 30% of the photos taken by people aged 18–24.[13] By 2013, the word "selfie" had become commonplace enough to be monitored for inclusion in the online version of the Oxford English Dictionary.[14] In November 2013, the word "selfie" was announced as being the "word of the year" by the Oxford English Dictionary, which gave the word itself an Australian origin.[15]
Selfies have also taken beyond Earth. Selfies taken in space include those by astronauts,[16] an image by NASA's Curiosity rover of itself on Mars,[17] and images created by an indirect method, where a self-portrait photograph taken on Earth is displayed on a screen on a satellite, and captured by a camera.[18]
In 2011 a crested black macaque stole a wildlife photographer's camera, and when the camera was later recovered it was found to contain hundreds of "selfies", including one of a grinning female macaque. This incident set off an unusual debate about copyright.[19]
In October 2013, Imagist Labs released an iOS app called Selfie, which allows users to upload photos only from their front-facing smartphone camera.[20] The app shows a feed of public photos of everyone’s selfies and from the people they follow. The app does not allow users to comment and users can only respond with selfies. The app soon gained popularity among teenagers.
In January 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics, a "Selfie Olympics" meme was popular on Twitter, where users took self-portraits in unusual situations.[21] The spread of the meme took place with the usage of the hashtags #selfiegame and #selfieolympics.[22]
In April 2014, the advertising agency iStrategyLabs produced a two-way mirror capable of automatically posting selfies to Twitter, using facial recognition software.[23]
The popularity of selfies in social media has been astounding.[24] Instagram has over 53 million photos tagged with the hashtag #selfie. The word "selfie" was mentioned in Facebook status updates over 368,000 times during a one week period in October 2013. During the same period on Twitter, the hashtag #selfie was used in more than 150,000 tweets.
Christina Novelli taking a selfie during a concert in Honolulu, Hawaii
San Francisco Giants fan taking a selfie in front of a bonfire during celebrations after the 2014 World Series
Sociology[edit]
The appeal of selfies comes from how easy they are to create and share, and the control they give self-photographers over how they present themselves. Many selfies are intended to present a flattering image of the person, especially to friends whom the photographer expects to be supportive.[10][11] However, a 2013 study of Facebook users found that posting photos of oneself correlates with lower levels of social support from and intimacy with Facebook friends (except for those marked as Close Friends).[25] The lead author of the study suggests that "those who frequently post photographs on Facebook risk damaging real-life relationships."[26] The photo messaging application Snapchat is also largely used to send selfies. Some users of Snapchat choose to send intentionally-unattractive selfies to their friends for comedic purposes.
Posting intentionally unattractive selfies has also become common in the early 2010s—in part for their humor value, but in some cases also to explore issues of body image or as a reaction against the perceived narcissism or over-sexualization of typical selfies.[27]
Celebrity selfies[edit]
Former South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and footballer Ji So Yun
Many celebrities – especially sex symbols – post selfies for their followers on social media, and provocative or otherwise interesting celebrity selfies are the subject of regular press coverage. Some commentators, such as Emma Barnett of The Telegraph, have argued that sexy celebrity selfies (and sexy non-celebrity selfies) can be empowering to the selfie-takers but harmful to women in general as they promote viewing women as sex objects.[28] Actor and avid selfie poster James Franco wrote an op-ed for The New York Times defending this frequent use of selfies on his Instagram page.[29] Franco defends the self-portrait stating they should not be seen as an egocentric act, but instead a journalistic moment as it cultivates a "visual culture, the selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you're feeling, where you are, what you're doing", much like a photojournalist image.[29]
Franco continued to write how peoples' social lives are
more electronic, we become more adept at interpreting social media. And, as our social lives become more electronic, we become more adept at interpreting social media. A texting conversation might fall short of communicating how you are feeling, but a selfie might make everything clear in an instant. Selfies are tools of communication more than marks of vanity (but yes, they can be a little vain).[29]
A selfie orchestrated by 86th Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres during the 2 March 2014 broadcast is the most retweeted image ever.[30][31] DeGeneres said she wanted to homage Meryl Streep's record 18 Oscar nominations by setting a new record with her, and invited twelve other Oscar celebrities to join them, which included Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Spacey, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o, Jared Leto and Jennifer Lawrence. The resulting photo of the celebrities broke the previous retweet record within forty minutes, and was retweeted over 1.8 million times in the first hour.[32][33][34] By the end of the ceremony it had been retweeted over 2 million times, less than 24 hours later, it had been retweeted over 2.8 million times.[31][32] As of 24 June 2014, it has been retweeted 3,415,871 times.[35] It beat the previous record, 778,801, which was held by Barack Obama, following his victory in the 2012 presidential election.[34][36][37]
One person who loves to take selfies and is known as the "selfie queen" is Kim Kardashian. This year in 2014 she made a selfie book that consists of selfies throughout the whole year. She earned this title by taking the social media website Instagram very seriously and posting her selfies numerous times per week. She even has a set of rules that she goes by when taking the "perfect selfie."
Politician selfies[edit]
Bill Nye takes a selfie with US President Barack Obama and Neil deGrasse Tyson at the White House
President Barack Obama made news headlines during Nelson Mandela's memorial celebration at the Johannesburg's FNB Stadium with various world leaders, as he was snapped taking a selfie and sharing smiles with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and later with British Prime Minister David Cameron, as they gathered to pay tribute to Mandela.[38] The decision to take the selfies was considered to be in poor taste, as British political columnist Iain Martin critiqued the behaviour as "clowning around like muppets".[38] The photos also depict the First Lady Michelle Obama sitting next to them looking "furious and mortified".[38] Despite the criticism, Roberto Schmidt, the photographer who captured the photos taken at the celebration, reported to the Today show it was taken at "a jovial, celebratory portion of the service".[39]
In India, BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi posted a selfie on Twitter after voting in Gandhinagar, India. The post became a major trending item on the micro-blogging platform.[40] In July 2014, the Swiss government is the first to take and post a picture of an entire national government (the picture was taken by one of the seven members of the government, Alain Berset).[41]
Group selfies[edit]
A group selfie of tourists using a Selfie stick for a wider angle image.
In January 2014, Business Insider published a story referring to such images as "usies".[42] A photograph of Pope Francis with visitors to the Vatican has been called an usie by The Daily Dot,[43][44] and TMZ has used the term to describe a selfie taken of celebrity couple Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.[42][45]
The term "groufie" has been trademarked by Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei Technologies in China, France, Germany, Russia, and the U.S.[46][47] The word was introduced during the launch of its Ascend P7 smartphone in 2014.[48] Huawei defines the groufie as a panoramic selfie involving multiple subjects, as well as background scenery, captured using the front facing, 8-megapixel camera and panorama capabilities of its phones.[49][50][51]
Another term for a group selfie is "wefie", originally trademarked by Samsung in the U.S. to promote the wide-angle lens of its NX series of cameras.[47][52][53][54]
World record[edit]
The world's largest group selfie included 2000 people and was taken on 23 November 2014 in Brooklyn, New York at the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries.[55]
In popular culture[edit]
In August 2013, The Guardian produced a film series titled Thinkfluencer[56] exploring selfie exposure in the UK.
American dance music duo The Chainsmokers released a single #SELFIE in 2014.
In August 2014, selfie was officially accepted for use in the word game Scrabble[57][58]
From September to November 2014, the American television sitcom Selfie aired on ABC, telling the story of a woman trying to achieve fame through social media.
Psychology and neuroscience[edit]
According to a study performed by Nicola Bruno and Marco Bertamini at the University of Parma, selfies by non-professional photographers show a slight bias for showing the left cheek of the selfie-taker.[59] This is similar to what has been observed for portraits by professional painters from many different historical periods and styles,[60] indicating that the left cheek bias may be rooted in asymmetries of brain lateralization that are well documented within cognitive neuroscience. In a second study,[61] the same group tested if selfie takers without training in photography spontaneously adhere to widely prescribed rules of photographic composition, such as the rule of thirds. It seems that they do not, suggesting that these rules may be conventional rather than hardwired in the brain's perceptual preferences.
In April 2014, a man diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder recounted spending ten hours a day attempting to take the "right" selfie, attempting suicide after failing to produce what he perceived to be the perfect selfie.[62] The same month brought several scholarly publications linking excessive selfie posting with body dysmorphic disorder.[citation needed]
Injuries while taking photos[edit]
In July 2014, a fourteen-year-old girl in the Philippines fell to her death after losing her balance while taking a selfie of herself and a friend near the staircase landing of their school in suburban Pasig City.[63] In August 2014, a fifteen-year-old boy was critically wounded after accidentally shooting himself while taking a selfie in which his other hand was holding a gun to his chin.[64] In November 2014 a Polish woman vacationing in Spain fell to her death while attempting a picturesque selfie from the Puente de Triana bridge in the city of Seville.

While still in the grade school, his mother used to tell him to be a priest, to dignify and ameliorate their state of life; but the father would vehemently counter, no, he should be a lawyer. As always during the eve of the fiesta, Celedonio G. Aguilar earnestly desire to watch the parade with deep interest and enthusiasm especially when the platoon of soldiers march by and roiled in his mind the well-mannered discipline and dignity of mien of the soldiers, that someday, he thought and figured himself to be one of them. So when he enrolled at the Albay High School, after his academic classes, posthaste he would scurry out to his custodial concern, joined the formation of the preparatory military training activities. Through the years he rose from the ranks to become battalion commander. It was October, during his senior year in school that he hide down to the military camp to take the Philippine Military Academy Examination, but the Japanese Imperial forces landed at legazpi on December 14, 1941 thus throwing his ambition to be a soldier to the winds. However during the Japanese occupation, he joined the guerilla movement (NOMETA) Noli Me Tangere Guerilla as 2nd Lieutenant. He was enraptured with much interest when the American Force landed at legazpi on april 1, 1945. And NOMETA unit became 1st. Battalion of Sandico’s 52nd Division Guerilla Unit was re – entrenched to a company and merge to first Regiment Bicol Brigade that include him in the activated regular force of the Philippine Army as First class Private. Utterly disgusted he resigned from the army and applied to teach in the District of camalig as a substitute teacher. After a year of teaching, he became a temporary teacher and was appointed head teacher at Del Rosario Public School. Three years after classroom work, he resigned to pursue a degree in education and Graduated in 1951 at the National University, Manila. He first taught at Libon Private High School, after a year, transferred to St. John’s Academy in Camalig where his former student, Mrs. Minda Grageda Muñoz in their St. John’s Academy Golden Anniversary Souvenir booklet, In Retrospect elucidated; “Mr. Aguilar is a tall respectable man, eloquent and dedicated English instructor. We were all eyes and ears for him when he’s in front of the class, listening intently and spellbound to his interesting lecture. He was forthright and his dignified stature demanded respect.” In the same booklet, Reminiscing Our High School days with our Mentors, Mrs. Josefina Nuas Ramos averred, “Mr. Aguilar was our English teacher. He spoke English fluently. He developed our interest in reading literature and novels. He is a writer. Some of his books are: Shaken Shadows, Time and Sunken Sun, This Season and Night, Pink Sun and Neutral Dust, Readings in Philippine Literature, Speaking and Writing English, Critiques on Poetry, Understanding Poetry through imagery, Thesis Writing Made Easy, Functional Research Techniques, Dimensions in Reading, and Before the Tide Sets In.”
Then the Civil Sevice Commission, in a letter, ordered him to report to Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School to teach English, non – compliance will be tantamount to scrapping out his civil service eligibility. Banners in The Quill, student publication of Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School, that new teacher added to MORMS Teaching Force,”one of them was MR. Aguilar of Camalig, Albay who had his first feel of teaching in 1945 when he accepted a teaching position in a barrio elementary school in the District of Camalig. But three years teaching in the elementary, resigned to enroll at National University, where in 1951 obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Educational major in English and minor in history. He taught for five years at St. John’s Academy. During summer enrolled at U.P. for masteral degree.” He enjoyed immensely his secondary teaching adventure. Especially his literature teaching which spurred in him for more writing for publication in the national magazines: This Week Magazine, Free Press, Sunday Times Magazine, Graphic, Solidarity, etc. Through the suggestion of Bienvenido N. Santos, he organized Albay Writers with membership officials as: Dr. Rodrigo Salazar, Valdemar Olaguer, Jose Ravalo, Vic O. Ballesfin, and 15 other budding writers of Albay with Celedonio G. Aguilar as President and Bienvinido Santos as Adviser. At one instance, through Santos, N.V.M. Gonzales was guest speaker of the group along with Hilario Francia and Petronilo Daroy.
To cap it all, he was elected President of the Albay Secondary Teachers Association which perhaps paved the way for his selection for the Master of Art in Teaching Reading Scholarship at the University of the Philippines. In the Class 76 reunion at MORMS of which Dr. Susan Princesa Mallonga was the President presented to him a certificate, which states: “Class 76”presents this certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Celedonio G. Aguilar for his demonstrated patience, hard work and dedication in molding our young minds in the pursuit of our secondary education, most of all, giving us the foundation in academic excellence, and teaching us values of honesty, diligence, sincerity and humility,”
After enjoying the DECS scholarships, he was promoted to Junior College Instructor and assigned to School for Philippine a Craftsmen, Polangui, Albay. In The Craftlet official student publication of School for Philippine Craftsmen, in Campus Tidbits by June Ailes where she spot lighted and enunciated campus personalities, she articulated on Mr. Aguilar as “our beloved English instructor and his being very energetic to drill us in writing as if he was ink in his veins, for he has several collection of poetry which he considers his vice: together with his scholarships at U.P. and Silliman University. Indeed how lucky we are to be our instructor.” On School visitation of the Regional Director at SPC observing teachers, he spotted Mr. Aguilar for promotion to Regional General Education Supervisor, at which instance, he devoted his time after office hours to teaching at Bicol College and then to Divine Word College of Legazpi. Then retired from the government service. Outrightly, Bicol College took him to be Dean of the College of Education with only secondary teaching as the course offered. So he formalized the opening of the elementary grades in preparation for the opening of Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEed). At point and time, Mr. Manuel T. Javier, Bicol College Faculty and Adviser of Bicol Collegian, Student Publication of the School, wrote a feature which said: If the Colossus of Rhodes has been one wonders of the world in the days of antiquity, it has its equal in our present time at our school at that. We are referring to Dr. Celedonio G. Aguilar as the mighty colossus. Aside from being Dean of the College of Education, he is also Secretary of the Graduate School, twin positions enough to stymie the most intrepid of men, but not this titan. He savors these burdens with gusto. His student is the living witness to his pedagogical virtuosity. They would swear to high heaven how this man could change adrab classroom into exciting arena of intellectual combat where educational myths and heresies are blasted and intellectual pursuits are probed and defend.”
Eventually a year after, he became the Dean of the Graduated School. As Dean of the Graduate School, he worked for the opening of the doctoral program subsequently a year later, through the help of his friend in the Higher Education Division, Manila, its recognition, a help exerted to boost Bicol College’s headway to educational permanence. But resigned later on when University of Santo Thomas called him for interview in connection to his application to teach at that school. But Fr. Reyes, President of Divine Word College of Legazpi and was to be promoted to higher position in Manila, sweet talked him to teach rather the King Seminary in Quezon City, which he accepted. He only taught half – day at the Seminary which gave him ample time for research, and call to mind, the dearth of specific books for the subject he taught in college, such as Philippine Literature, so Readings in Philippines Literature was written, Grammar and Composition, for Speaking and writing English, literary Criticism, for Critiques on Poetry, Poetry and Drama, for Understanding Poetry through Imagery, and for Graduate Students, Thesis Writing Made Easy, and Functional Research Techniques, for teacher and would be teacher, Dimension in Reading and Before the Tide Sets In.
He also included in foreign and local anthologies: World Poetry by Kim Young Sam (Korea), East – West Voices by Dr. V.S. Skanda Prasad, (Mangalore, India), Edicao Commemorativo by Wilson Oliviera Jasa, (Sao Paulo, Brazil), and National Library of Poetry: Walk Through Paradise 1995, Portraits of Life 1996, Owing Mills, Maryland, USA, Bicol Voice Anthology by Merito B. Espinas, Bicol of the Philippines by Lilia Realubit, Ani by Cultural Center of the Philippines, Palihan by U.P. Creative Writing Center.
On the outset of June, a letter from Mayor’s Office, requested all occupational pursuits an Camalig to submit their Bio – Data emphasizing their significant accomplishments in their chosen job career, such as: Civic Action Movement, business enterprises, inventions, constructions, mentors to take from classroom teacher, principals, (district, division, regional) supervisors, college professors, and Deans of schools who are legitimate Camaligueños. In view of his teaching feat, scholarship, written books that benefited college and graduates students throughout the country and his Doctor of Education degree from Bicol University, prompted the award as outstanding Camaligueños in the field of EDUCATION (along with other professional pursuits) June 24, 2005 camalig’s town fiesta by the Camalig Council on Arts, Culture and Tourism to Dr. Celedonio G. Aguilar.
Apathetically he muttered, if only there is a school who would avail of his expertise on the subjects corresponding to his written books, he is still willing to teach, for teaching to him is a life time endeavor, not anymore for remuneration, with life and Comfort, but to deciminate and share the knowledge he has learned from his scholarships by the DECS in Master of Arts in Teaching Reading at U.P. Diliman, QC, Master of fine Art in Creative Writing a Silliman University under the Tiempos (Edilberto and Edith) and William Sweet, Master of Arts in Educational Management.

kombertidorWhile still in the grade school, his mother used to tell him to be a priest, to dignify and ameliorate their state of life; but the father would vehemently counter, no, he should be a lawyer. As always during the eve of the fiesta, Celedonio G. Aguilar earnestly desire to watch the parade with deep interest and enthusiasm especially when the platoon of soldiers march by and roiled in his mind the well-mannered discipline and dignity of mien of the soldiers, that someday, he thought and figured himself to be one of them. So when he enrolled at the Albay High School, after his academic classes, posthaste he would scurry out to his custodial concern, joined the formation of the preparatory military training activities. Through the years he rose from the ranks to become battalion commander. It was October, during his senior year in school that he hide down to the military camp to take the Philippine Military Academy Examination, but the Japanese Imperial forces landed at legazpi on December 14, 1941 thus throwing his ambition to be a soldier to the winds. However during the Japanese occupation, he joined the guerilla movement (NOMETA) Noli Me Tangere Guerilla as 2nd Lieutenant. He was enraptured with much interest when the American Force landed at legazpi on april 1, 1945. And NOMETA unit became 1st. Battalion of Sandico’s 52nd Division Guerilla Unit was re – entrenched to a company and merge to first Regiment Bicol Brigade that include him in the activated regular force of the Philippine Army as First class Private. Utterly disgusted he resigned from the army and applied to teach in the District of camalig as a substitute teacher. After a year of teaching, he became a temporary teacher and was appointed head teacher at Del Rosario Public School. Three years after classroom work, he resigned to pursue a degree in education and Graduated in 1951 at the National University, Manila. He first taught at Libon Private High School, after a year, transferred to St. John’s Academy in Camalig where his former student, Mrs. Minda Grageda Muñoz in their St. John’s Academy Golden Anniversary Souvenir booklet, In Retrospect elucidated; “Mr. Aguilar is a tall respectable man, eloquent and dedicated English instructor. We were all eyes and ears for him when he’s in front of the class, listening intently and spellbound to his interesting lecture. He was forthright and his dignified stature demanded respect.” In the same booklet, Reminiscing Our High School days with our Mentors, Mrs. Josefina Nuas Ramos averred, “Mr. Aguilar was our English teacher. He spoke English fluently. He developed our interest in reading literature and novels. He is a writer. Some of his books are: Shaken Shadows, Time and Sunken Sun, This Season and Night, Pink Sun and Neutral Dust, Readings in Philippine Literature, Speaking and Writing English, Critiques on Poetry, Understanding Poetry through imagery, Thesis Writing Made Easy, Functional Research Techniques, Dimensions in Reading, and Before the Tide Sets In.”
Then the Civil Sevice Commission, in a letter, ordered him to report to Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School to teach English, non – compliance will be tantamount to scrapping out his civil service eligibility. Banners in The Quill, student publication of Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School, that new teacher added to MORMS Teaching Force,”one of them was MR. Aguilar of Camalig, Albay who had his first feel of teaching in 1945 when he accepted a teaching position in a barrio elementary school in the District of Camalig. But three years teaching in the elementary, resigned to enroll at National University, where in 1951 obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Educational major in English and minor in history. He taught for five years at St. John’s Academy. During summer enrolled at U.P. for masteral degree.” He enjoyed immensely his secondary teaching adventure. Especially his literature teaching which spurred in him for more writing for publication in the national magazines: This Week Magazine, Free Press, Sunday Times Magazine, Graphic, Solidarity, etc. Through the suggestion of Bienvenido N. Santos, he organized Albay Writers with membership officials as: Dr. Rodrigo Salazar, Valdemar Olaguer, Jose Ravalo, Vic O. Ballesfin, and 15 other budding writers of Albay with Celedonio G. Aguilar as President and Bienvinido Santos as Adviser. At one instance, through Santos, N.V.M. Gonzales was guest speaker of the group along with Hilario Francia and Petronilo Daroy.
To cap it all, he was elected President of the Albay Secondary Teachers Association which perhaps paved the way for his selection for the Master of Art in Teaching Reading Scholarship at the University of the Philippines. In the Class 76 reunion at MORMS of which Dr. Susan Princesa Mallonga was the President presented to him a certificate, which states: “Class 76”presents this certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Celedonio G. Aguilar for his demonstrated patience, hard work and dedication in molding our young minds in the pursuit of our secondary education, most of all, giving us the foundation in academic excellence, and teaching us values of honesty, diligence, sincerity and humility,”
After enjoying the DECS scholarships, he was promoted to Junior College Instructor and assigned to School for Philippine a Craftsmen, Polangui, Albay. In The Craftlet official student publication of School for Philippine Craftsmen, in Campus Tidbits by June Ailes where she spot lighted and enunciated campus personalities, she articulated on Mr. Aguilar as “our beloved English instructor and his being very energetic to drill us in writing as if he was ink in his veins, for he has several collection of poetry which he considers his vice: together with his scholarships at U.P. and Silliman University. Indeed how lucky we are to be our instructor.” On School visitation of the Regional Director at SPC observing teachers, he spotted Mr. Aguilar for promotion to Regional General Education Supervisor, at which instance, he devoted his time after office hours to teaching at Bicol College and then to Divine Word College of Legazpi. Then retired from the government service. Outrightly, Bicol College took him to be Dean of the College of Education with only secondary teaching as the course offered. So he formalized the opening of the elementary grades in preparation for the opening of Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEed). At point and time, Mr. Manuel T. Javier, Bicol College Faculty and Adviser of Bicol Collegian, Student Publication of the School, wrote a feature which said: If the Colossus of Rhodes has been one wonders of the world in the days of antiquity, it has its equal in our present time at our school at that. We are referring to Dr. Celedonio G. Aguilar as the mighty colossus. Aside from being Dean of the College of Education, he is also Secretary of the Graduate School, twin positions enough to stymie the most intrepid of men, but not this titan. He savors these burdens with gusto. His student is the living witness to his pedagogical virtuosity. They would swear to high heaven how this man could change adrab classroom into exciting arena of intellectual combat where educational myths and heresies are blasted and intellectual pursuits are probed and defend.”
Eventually a year after, he became the Dean of the Graduated School. As Dean of the Graduate School, he worked for the opening of the doctoral program subsequently a year later, through the help of his friend in the Higher Education Division, Manila, its recognition, a help exerted to boost Bicol College’s headway to educational permanence. But resigned later on when University of Santo Thomas called him for interview in connection to his application to teach at that school. But Fr. Reyes, President of Divine Word College of Legazpi and was to be promoted to higher position in Manila, sweet talked him to teach rather the King Seminary in Quezon City, which he accepted. He only taught half – day at the Seminary which gave him ample time for research, and call to mind, the dearth of specific books for the subject he taught in college, such as Philippine Literature, so Readings in Philippines Literature was written, Grammar and Composition, for Speaking and writing English, literary Criticism, for Critiques on Poetry, Poetry and Drama, for Understanding Poetry through Imagery, and for Graduate Students, Thesis Writing Made Easy, and Functional Research Techniques, for teacher and would be teacher, Dimension in Reading and Before the Tide Sets In.
He also included in foreign and local anthologies: World Poetry by Kim Young Sam (Korea), East – West Voices by Dr. V.S. Skanda Prasad, (Mangalore, India), Edicao Commemorativo by Wilson Oliviera Jasa, (Sao Paulo, Brazil), and National Library of Poetry: Walk Through Paradise 1995, Portraits of Life 1996, Owing Mills, Maryland, USA, Bicol Voice Anthology by Merito B. Espinas, Bicol of the Philippines by Lilia Realubit, Ani by Cultural Center of the Philippines, Palihan by U.P. Creative Writing Center.
On the outset of June, a letter from Mayor’s Office, requested all occupational pursuits an Camalig to submit their Bio – Data emphasizing their significant accomplishments in their chosen job career, such as: Civic Action Movement, business enterprises, inventions, constructions, mentors to take from classroom teacher, principals, (district, division, regional) supervisors, college professors, and Deans of schools who are legitimate Camaligueños. In view of his teaching feat, scholarship, written books that benefited college and graduates students throughout the country and his Doctor of Education degree from Bicol University, prompted the award as outstanding Camaligueños in the field of EDUCATION (along with other professional pursuits) June 24, 2005 camalig’s town fiesta by the Camalig Council on Arts, Culture and Tourism to Dr. Celedonio G. Aguilar.
Apathetically he muttered, if only there is a school who would avail of his expertise on the subjects corresponding to his written books, he is still willing to teach, for teaching to him is a life time endeavor, not anymore for remuneration, with life and Comfort, but to deciminate and share the knowledge he has learned from his scholarships by the DECS in Master of Arts in Teaching Reading at U.P. Diliman, QC, Master of fine Art in Creative Writing a Silliman University under the Tiempos (Edilberto and Edith) and William Sweet, Master of Arts in Educational Management.